


A Sign of Affection

by Clarrisani



Category: Supernatural
Genre: First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-12-05 07:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/720323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarrisani/pseuds/Clarrisani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel learns that different kisses mean different things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sign of Affection

**Author's Note:**

> Written for deancasweek2013 on Tumblr

“I don’t understand,” Castiel said, frowning at the screen. “What is the purpose of her kissing him on the cheek? They’ve been in the same room for a long time and neither of them are leaving.”

Sam had to bite back his laugh, eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked at angel next to him. “It’s a sign of affection,” he explained, eyes returning to the movie on the screen. “Kisses have different meanings.”

Castiel thought for a moment. “So kissing on the cheek is a way to say hello, goodbye, and to show affection.”

‘Exactly.”

Castiel looked at him, confusion still evident on his face. “But I thought kissing on the lips was a sign of affection.”

“It is. So’s kissing someone on the forehead. It’s just… different levels of affection.” Sam thought for a moment. “The cheek means ‘I like you’. It tells the other person how you feel but they don’t have to return it. The forehead is a bit more intimate. That’s more ‘I love you’, as well as being comforting and soothing. The lips are more… mutual affection.”

“I think I’m beginning to understand.” Castiel’s head tilted slightly. “So if I wished to let someone know I liked them, I would kiss them on the cheek rather than the mouth.”

“It’s definitely safer. Some people will slap you if you go straight for the lips.” Sam smirked, casting a sideways look. “Thinking of kissing Dean, Cas?”

Castiel felt his face warm slightly as he looked back toward the screen. “I was merely being hypothetical.”

“Yeah.” Sam laughed. “Right.”

*   *   *   *   *

Castiel watched as Dean flipped through his journal, the lid of his pen resting in the corner of his mouth where it was held between his teeth. Dean’s forehead was furrowed ever so slightly as his eyes darted over his notes, Dean flipping back to the current page and continuing to write down his latest journal entry. He flipped back and forth between the current page and previous, Castiel concluding he was referencing old notes and updating them.

“What have I said about the staring?” Dean asked, voice slightly muffled by the lid.

Castiel averted his gaze. “Sorry.”

Dean shot him a quick look before returning to his writing. Castiel studied the pattern on the table, noting the various stains and identifying their causes. He looked up quickly toward the door that Sam had exited less than half an hour ago to go find them some food, leaving Dean to continue with his notes regarding their previous case. Sam had managed to convince Dean to stay another night on the proviso that he’d find them dinner.

Looking back at Dean, Castiel’s curiosity finally got the better of him. Pushing himself up Castiel wandered over to where Dean was sitting on the end of the bed and sat next to him, looking over his shoulder to read.

Dean sighed heavily, pausing in his task. “Really?”

Castiel didn’t blink. “I think you’ll find your spelling of crucifixion is incorrect.”

“Dude, it’s not like anyone but me is going to read it.” Dean finished his current sentence, removing the lid from between his teeth and recapping his pen before turning to Castiel. “Don’t you have something better to do than watching me all the time?”

“No,” Castiel answered without hesitation.

Dean let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his eyes. “Look, as much as I like having you around, Cas, I’m not a fan of being watched and _definitely_ not a fan of people reading over my shoulder.”

Castiel nodded, trying to keep his eyes on Dean’s but finding himself slightly distracted by the faint smudge of blue ink on Dean’s lip. “What would you have me do?”

“Here.” Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the Impala, dropping them into Cas’s hand. “In the trunk, back right corner beneath the bag with the rags but above the hidden compartment, there’s an accounting book. Grab it for me.”

Castiel frowned. “An accounting book?”

“You know, a book to work out how much you spend.”

“I know what accounting is, Dean,” Cas said, “I just don’t understand your need for one.”

“I use it to keep track of suppliers,” Dean said. “What they stock and stuff, you know? Can’t remember who our guy is in Wichita.”

Castiel nodded, looking down at the keys in his hand. Out the corner of his eye he watched as Dean uncapped his pen again and absently tapped the pen nib against his teeth, unknowingly leaving another small blue mark on his lip. Before he could rationalise himself Castiel leaned across, placing a soft kiss on Dean’s cheek. He pulled back and stood, noting the wide eyed look on Dean’s face.

Castiel had made it halfway to the door before Dean called his name. Cas paused, looking back. “Yes?”

Dean gestured from Cas to his cheek and back. “What was that?”

Castiel simply gave him a small smile before turning away. He spotted Sam coming up the stairs to their motel room and didn’t bother closing the door, nodding a greeting to the other man before heading for the Impala.

*   *   *   *   *

Castiel had noted Dean glancing at him in the rear view mirror all the way to Wichita. Between those looks and the amount of time Dean spent looking at Sam, Castiel didn’t know how they managed to make it without crashing off the road. The two brothers engaged in idle chatter, but much of the drive was spent in silence broken only by the rock music from the speakers.

Once they had checked into a motel Cas had gone with Sam to the library to look into a possible case while also gathering information for another hunter. Dean had gone to chase up some supplies, and they had met back at the diner near the motel for lunch. Castiel had felt Dean’s eyes on him, and when Sam had gone to get a drink refill Castiel had turned at him.

“You’re staring.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed, but he never looked away.

When they had gone to visit a witness in regards to the possible case Cas had noted the look of amusement on Sam’s face, the younger brother joking about the two of them “getting a room” which had earned him crushed toes from Dean, although Sam had simply laughed. Upon returning to the motel room Sam suddenly remembered that he needed to buy something from the convenience store, Cas frowning at the wink Sam had thrown him on the way out the door.

Feeling the heat of Dean’s eyes on the back of his neck, Castiel turned. “Something wrong, Dean?”

Dean seemed to size him up before gesturing to the seat beside him on the small couch. Cas moved to join him, Dean holding up a hand to stop him before he sat down. “Do you ever take off the coat?”

Castiel blinked. “Should I?”

“Most people take off their coat when they’re in their room.”

Cas hesitated before sliding the coat off his shoulders, folding it and setting it on the back of the kitchen chair. He felt uncomfortable without its familiar weight, the coat as much a part of his vessel as the body itself was. Dean seemed to be pleased he’d taken it off though, so Castiel could deal with it. He joined Dean on the couch, acutely aware that Dean still had one arm draped over the back behind Cas’ shoulders.

“So what was that?”

Cas frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“The kiss.” Dean licked his lips, Cas forcing himself not to watch. “Since when do you kiss people on the cheek?”

“I thought it appropriate.”

“Appropriate how?”

Castiel felt a sense of unease, one that Sam and Dean had assured him was nerves. “It is in my understanding that if you like someone you kiss them on the cheek.” He saw something flash through Dean’s eyes. “Was I wrong?”

“No, but…” Dean’s jaw was working slightly, a sign Cas recognised that meant Dean was uncomfortable. “It’s just not something you do with guys. It’s a chick thing. Or if you _like_ like someone.”

“Like like?”

“You know.” Dean made a half-hearted wave with the hand not on the back of the couch. “You have feelings for them. More than just friend feelings.”

“I see.” Cas felt Dean’s arm move slightly behind his shoulders, pressing a little firmer against the back of his neck. “So my understanding is correct.”

Dean’s eyes widened slightly as he stared at him, Cas slightly distracted by the way Dean’s adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed. “Wait,” Dean said softly. “You feel like that? About _me_?”

Castiel found it becoming harder to sit still and forced his palms flat on his thighs in attempt to remain so. “Sam told me that a kiss on the lips should only be attempt if the feeling is mutual.”

“You got this from _Sam_ ,” Dean shot a glare back at the door. “I’m gonna kill him.”

The need to fidget was becoming stronger, Cas absently tugging at his tie as he began to feel constricted by it. “Maybe I should go-”

“No!” Dean reached out, catching Cas’ arm before he could move. “No.”

Castiel looked down at the fingers wrapped around his arm, then back up at Dean and slightly surprised by how close Dean suddenly was. He frowned, searching Dean’s face to determine what he was thinking and wishing he still had enough grace to see Dean’s thoughts. “Dean?”

Dean shushed him, letting go of Cas’ arm and cupping his jaw. The nerves were back, stronger than ever and Cas couldn’t help but swallow as Dean leaned into him, his face unbelievably close. Dean seemed to still be uncertain, stopping moving so close that Castiel could feel Dean’s breath brushing against his face. Taking the incentive, Castiel shifted and brought his lips to Dean’s.

The kiss was uncertain, almost testing as lips brushed. Castiel felt an unexpected thrill as Dean sucked on Cas’ lower lip, Cas hesitantly bringing his hand up to Dean’s chest. Dean pulled back slightly, his gaze seeming a little more certain as he smiled at Castiel. Their next kiss was firmer, the arm on the back of the couch coming to rest around Castiel’s shoulders as Castiel turned slightly so he could face Dean more fully.

Dean’s tongue slid across Cas’ teeth, trying to coax them apart. Cas opened his mouth, Dean moaning softly as he swept his tongue in. Cas was overwhelmed with the feeling of it, both nervous and excited all at once. He now understood why the characters in the films Sam and Dean watched enjoyed kissing so much, Cas trying to mimic Dean’s actions with his own. He listened to the soft sounds Dean was making, using them to judge what Dean liked and what he didn’t. Cas’ hand moved from Dean’s chest to his hair, losing his fingers in those soft strands.

Cas whimpered as Dean pulled back, the heavy breathing of the man reminding Cas that humans needed to breath. He noted for the first time that his lungs were burning from lack of oxygen, a reminder of his own near mortal state. His eyes never left Dean’s face, taking in the wide pupils and flush to his skin and deciding he liked seeing Dean’s this way. Dean’s hand fell from Cas face to his chest, a grin breaking out of Dean’s face as he began to laugh.

Castiel frowned. “I don’t understand – what’s so funny?”

“Nothing just…” Dean’s threaded his fingers around Cas’ tie, tugging on it gently. “Not used to good things happening.”

A small sense of relief played through him as Castiel smiled. “Good things do happen, Dean.”

“Yeah. Yeah, they do.”

Castiel let Dean tug him forward by the tie, meeting Dean halfway. Cas thought he could very easily get used to this kissing thing, and wondered what else Dean could teach him. Cas heard the door open and looked up, breaking the kiss. Dean didn’t seem to notice as his lips moved to Cas neck, Castiel surprised by how good it felt and how his body was reacting.

Sam met his eye, seeming to take a moment to register what was happening before a grin spread over his face. He gave Cas a thumbs up before stepping back out of the room and closing the door. Dean seemed to hear the click, head coming up and turning to look back at the door.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” Castiel said, fascinated by the movement of Dean’s pulse on his neck. Castiel leaned forward, pressing a kiss to it and feeling it quicken beneath his lips, a noticeable shudder moving through Dean’s body. Apparently he had found a sensitive spot.

Dean either seemed to forget the noise or accepted Cas response, as Cas felt himself being pushed backward to lie on the couch and Cas was more than happy to comply.

**END**


End file.
